Savage Side Of Me
by Omicron the IceQueen
Summary: The Bionicle we know evolved from something even with help from the Great Beings. Packs of Hordika form and break apart and reform. There are super packs, and one that forms, the Shadows, are on the rise. Kidnapping cubs and eggs, this pack is threatening all. These are the stories that are truly from a time before time. When the primal Hordika ruled the world.
1. Preface: King of the Rangers

Queen's notes: well this is a story I've been working on and its been evolving for over six years now. This is the organic, 'primal' hordika, before the Great Beings started changing them, as well as Vorox and Zesk into the beings of Toa, Matoran, Glatorain and Agori. I'm calling the Great Beings 'Grecret' for now, as I cannot find a race name that's not 'The Great Beings' for them anywhere. X.x even checked the few comics before moving. So that works out.

This is sort of an intro thing, the story will fallow two cubs as they grow to help with the hordika pack culture, as well as some study logs off and on from the researchers.

Hope you enjoy this story!

 **The Savage Side Of Me**

Preface: King of the Rangers

The big creature lifted his head out of his fallen prey, drops of purple-red falling off his muzzle. The head of the big reptile was scarred; even the gray, back swept horns that shaded his eyes had a few marks, groves in them and along the golden tan hide. The alpha predator that humans might call dragon-like being, it was a creature that had been named Hordika by the beings in the silver craft above that the predator cubs were starting to growl at now as it came close.

"What is that thing sire?" One of the cubs at his feet asked, hiding under the massive male with her sisters.

"I don't know really, some kind of raft for the air," The big male lowered his head to give the cub a lick to clean off some of the dirt on her back, "But it and other things like it, have been around since before I was a cub, and before my grand sire was a cub."

He snorted and turned back to shredding his kill into much smaller bits for the cubs to chew and eat. The male lifted his head only to check for the Vorax scavengers that would be attracted by the scent of the exposed meet drifting down, and that female Zesk were still hovering around the Hordika cubs as nurses. Their own cubs were back at the nesting dens of home, with the just hatching eggs and the Mothers for the best protection of all.

"But what is it?" a little blue female with black ring markings asked as she came out from under her sire's twitching tail, only to climb up on the golden hide until she was grasping onto the thick grey spines of the male, "Its shiny! And things are moving inside! Something's lifting-" she gasped, sliding down the tail, "Is it going to eat us?!"

One of the Zesk mothers laughed at hearing that, clicking to her own sisters to explain what was said, they chuckled and trilled their own laughs with the Alpha hordika male. Dropping to all fours the tan and black stripped female came over to crouch at peer at the cub, "No-no lil' huntress, the silver ones do not eat lil' Hordika or Zesk." She leaned forward to pick the cub up behind the shoulders, where as an adult a grey saddle patch would form like on the one adult with the group.

Walking to a high angled tree branch on their perch she jumped up, still caring the chirping cub before setting her down. The nurse purred and looked to the wide, long silver thing that shined brighter then the warned to polished wood of their home. "See? It come close some times lil' one, but never hurt, sometimes it may takes injured Hordika an' Zesk, an' bring back them healthy an' healed." Her words were accented as she spoke Hordika.

"Sometimes it drops food," the Alpha male said as he looked back, chirping for the Zesk to bring the fascinated cub back down to eat now that he was done. Leaving the other two nurses to get to the sweat-soft meats inside the prey for the four cubs and them, he had hunted more for the nurses to eat after giving birth to their litters. He sat back down to groom himself clean, then moved once the silver raft-hollow log thing settled down. Nothing got out, very rarely did the creatures inside come out, the last time he remembered seeing the little ones, was...

Well, it had been a long time ago in the sands of the great Bara Dessert Planes. The big light breed Hordika tilted his head, the cresting horn on his head shading his eyes better before coming closer. The mech placed one forepaw and then the other one the shinning surface, leaning over to try and look inside the area that was sometimes clear. He remembered finding a dyeing raft once, after he was taken to the bright room in the white...tree of metal? Stone tree? He still wasn't sure what it had been, but the little creatures must have used the power of the Great Hordika's elemental energy to heal him. In return he had carried the surviving creature from the hollow-raft to another, at first in his jaws and then on his back. That had been so strange, but he had always been different from the start, with a fire breed as a sire and a ranger sun breed mother...and really, his own sire was the first true Alpha-king in ages, able to pull a pack and then super pack together as well as working and leading other alpha males and females.

Taking a deep breath, the current Alpha and co-leader of the Mata Tree leaned forward to lick over the silver, a quick groom despite the raft tasting bad. He stepped off to sit and watch his cubs until they were flopped over and stuffed, only then did the Zesk really settle in for eating a meal themselves.

A soft, so very soft sound drew the Hordika's attention away from standing... or rather sitting guard. The long neck dipped, looking at the small creature that was edging closer to him, "So you came out after so many breeding and storm seasons…" he tried a careful purr, so not to scare the cub sized creature back to the raft. He sniffed, then scented, "...are you the same I helped?" he asked, even knowing the strange rahi didn't speak, either proper Hordika, Zesk or even what the Vorax spoke.

Head lowered to the same level, the male had to praise the bravery of something small enough to be an easy quick snack would dare come to his bulk, as he was bigger then the normal sized Hordika. He felt the small paws on his muzzle before poking his tongue out playfully, not knowing a glass tub was used to get a sample, nor would he understand why the scientist would want samples to identify him.

" _Ta...ku'a?_ "

The hordika blinked both sets of lids, turning his head to look down and focus on the creature, surprised to say the least as he heard what sounded like his old name, "Are you learning to talk?" Taka wondered, impressed at the little chirping attempt and grinned as the paws stroked over his muzzle. "Maybe there's some hope for you little."

There was a long pause, filled with the soft sounds of happy, contended Zesk nurses, sleepy cubs and the odd chirps of the little creature that circled the Alpha. Petting his tail to his amusement, at least until there was a not so distant screak.

The big male's head shot up, turning with a growl as he recognized the sound.

"King-king!" the older of the three Zesks yipped, "Big male Vorox… might be fallowing scent of us?" She looked at her pack sisters, they didn't want their own breeding season intervening with their status in the Hordika pack. There were many advantages of being in a pack of the bigger predators, not just getting good food but another aspect of protection. The presence of the big hordika kept over aggressive males away from the smaller Zesk females, and their own cubs were raised just as protected with the young of the pack.

Becoming a nurse in the pack had been a great easing of Bor'eek's life several years ago. She had been pregnant early in the season back then, with only one of cubs surviving from her litter after one of the more savage Vorox males found her nest. The Zesk of the pack then had found her, and led her to one of the nest guards, and then the pack where she stayed. Bor'eek loved her new home very much, loved that her litters were kept safe to grow up in the dens of the Mata Tree.

"Not your fault." The hordika said as rose, using the side of his leg to push the small creature back to the silver raft, standing and shaking. "Take the cubs back to the Mata Tree, I'm going to make sure that Vorox stays away. After the cubs are safe you can go out if you want to meet a male." The alpha male stepped over to lick one of his cubs.

The big hordika shifted and jumped, from the thick branch of the tree they were all in, to another branch lower down. Taka glanced back, willing to loose the bird he hunted, as his pack, the young would be safe. He was willing to hunt for the Zesk again if needed, and in a way the kill wouldn't go to waste, those in the silver raft seemed to like taking some bits from what Hordika hunted.

"Aruma, Lhikan...Vakama?" the light breed male said to himself as he walked, glancing up to the sky and the two moons he knew were in the sky beyond the jungle canopy, "Grand sires, please let this peace last." He turned his head in the direction of the planes, where the shadow pack once was. Then he jumped and fell into a run, ready to chase off the scavenger.

Though the Hordika was aware the 'silver raft' was fallowing him at a distance, he wasn't aware of the conversation inside the ship, and wouldn't exactly know what the 'little beings' were talking about. Maybe understanding a word or two, but not the conversation in full, or in context.

"You shouldn't have gotten out of the ship Ma'ri," one male form said, still frowning at a female sitting not far from him, to the left of the pilot and he on the right.

"Peace Odicte," Ma'ri said looking up from the DNA samples, "We know that creature, and he remembers us. Even now."

"It doesn't change the fact those predators can eat us in one go." The pilot started to say before trailing off as the two sciences started at him, the expression of Ma'ri was completely flat and her red eyes were unimpressed. "Er..."

"I am perfectly aware of the danger the Hordika can do." Ma'ri said with her chin lifted, "But we all know that they are capable of compassion for no reason other than that, we've seen some caring for Vorox cubs and a few adults. This world has so much potential, and even more the Hordika."

Odicte sighed, running a hand over his head, "Yes, I know, that's why I had the outposts set up. And the recovery arena too..."

"And the hatchery," Ma'ri said brightly, smiling as she turned to look back to the improvised nest in their collection bay. Being lucky to get some Gacko bird eggs, and the one Hordika egg they found. Not abandoned but in the open like a raid gone wrong by another adult Hordika or even one of the Vorox. "As we'll have a Matoran-cub from that soon, to start the next phase to see if we can domesticate the Hordika, like the Cybertronians can. Or better start fostering to see if we can speed and alter their evaluation for this planet."

"But that metallic race is considerably larger than us." Odicte lifted a copper colored finger, his Safire eyes bright in the light coming from the observing dome, "We Grecret are greatly advanced than many other perhaps, but we do not have that height or mass without any sort of exco-suit to be able to handle an exited Hordika like those Cybertronians can."

"True..." the female smiled, rubbing her own exposed arms. Then smiled, "But the horikda are a beautiful race, maybe a see if we can start the next phase with making dwarfed subspecies first."

"That is a good idea," the head researcher considered that idea.

"Looks like your big male's charging now." The pilot said, moving the hover craft around so the other two could watch as attention was turned to recording the interaction.


	2. The start of empire's end

.

 **The Savage Side Of Me**

The start of empire's end

* * *

 **Hordika Study Logs, [Log 1]**

 _Researcher:_

Odicte **[Zeno Biological Expert]**

 _Date:_

 **[pre-shattering]**

 _Magna **[planet]** :_

Spherus

 _Location:_

Geta B areal research labs

 _Current Subject:_

Study of one of the native life forms, named Hordika for a universal barking/chirp all types and breeds make. They seem to be the local super predators once fully grown from our initial survey, and are highly intelligent hunters. Appearing to be reptilian quadrupeds with long tails (I would hazard a guess the tails are for balance and counter-balance, having seen some running at an amazing speed for their size as well as climbing on the larger trees and rock faces depending on the environments) and wedged shaped heads with a slightly elongated neck. The Hordika have forward facing eyes, enough to give them a field of depth but also a wide range of vision, Coris and Jiga are looking for any deceased specimens to examine the remains and get an in depth scan of the bone structure. Passive scans can only do so much.

These Hordika are pretty wide spread, ranging from jungle, planes, mountain and wet lands. Just from our first few fly overs we saw many small and larger packs, and a few singles. Most of the creatures travel in group-packs, we saw three of varying sizes from the landing platform the first day and have been debating on studying them.

Pack **[A]** is on the edge of the jungle having 13 visible members, though we haven't been able to tell where their den is or if there's any young.

Pack **[B]** has 11 members and is in the planes ecosystem against the jungle, we think the den is underground by a limestone formation.

Pack **[C]** is smallest in numbers with having 7, and smaller in physical size than the others, suggesting they are younger (the possibility of a sub-species should be noted), and roaming between the two bigger packs' areas.

We are unable to tell at this point if the Hordika are in established territories or nomadic with temporary territories, or migrate in different seasons. If the packs are family oriented or not is another one of the things we wish to find out, as well as other social interactions between the pack members and other packs.

My team are hoping to find the smaller pack C tomorrow, and gathering more information and details on the above subjects as well as others. Mi'ra has already suggested we set up a few outlook posts near a few possible hunting grounds and nesting sites. I have already made a note to do so now, and will fill out the forms to get the bases started after this log.

And dinner.

-Odicte

* * *

The big, black Hordika king yawned widely from where he was curled up in his comfortable sleeping hallow just in front of a nesting den. It was one of the spots that had been dug into the wood of the Ma'gi Pack's home-tree over the years until smoothed. The old alpha knew that this would be his last breading season, the last batch of eggs he would sire, maybe one a season or two with his forever loyal life mate, but Aruma didn't mind.

He couldn't hunt now, the last hunt he'd done had broken his hind foot. It was only the fact that he had a large family pack that cared for him, and brought back food while he guarded the nest was how the hordika healed. He was one of the biggest in the pack, by two to three times. Thickly built in his legs and chest, black in color with wide grey stripes along his body, he had a two cresting horns on his head, and large spines all the way down from his head and tail top. The spines were a bright shade of gold and a little more boney looking with his age. Aruma's foot had broken wrong in that hunt, and in turn it had healed wrong so he couldn't hunt anymore, not like before. In that time of healing, his son Norik had taken the active role of leader, and now Aruma had started seeing the signs of the golden mark of an alpha leader on him.

Right now Aruma was content with life, more so when he felt small lumps on the side of his back, from inside the den. He lifted his head and turned to peer over at the only two male hatchlings so far out of six. His scared muzzled came close to lick the soft red and green hides before letting the newlings nod off into a nap after the struggle of getting out of the shell.

"Sleep well my young princes," Aruma purred, resting head on tail as in the background Norik started a prance with prized sweet root in his jaws, trying to charm the females he wasn't related to in the pack.

The big male chuckled as he watched this, looking up as the pale form of his life mate, Taki came over. She was showing her age, but not as much as Aruma was, as Taki didn't have to constantly fight ravel males trying to break or take over their pack, as well as over aggressive rangers. She was an off white color at first glance, but white hide and many small rounded grey, shapeless spots, with a short light blue sail down her back from head to tail tip. Her eyes where two shades of blue, a darker backdrop and lighter center, and full of affection and pride at first the new cubs that hatched last, and then for their large pack. She remembered when it was only three females and five males searching for a territory.

Taki settled down with a soft sound, not admitting it was a groan, tucking her paws under her and leaning on the black hide of her mate. Her tail curling over Aruma's forelegs, and she leaned forward to pick up the two cubs off the larger tail. She set them down in the space in between her folded fore-paws and Aruma's tail as it curled around her next, "They're climbing already?"

"Mostly, but not they aren't big enough to come out on their own as you know." Aruma chuckled, as he leaned down to start grooming his mate's tail, smiling as he felt her shiver and then started to purr as he got the harder spot right next to the small sail.

"Have you seen that shinny silver thing in the air?" Taki asked, getting a nod in return, grooming first the two cubs, and then nuzzled the green and red hides in motherly affection. She rested her head on Aruma's tail, her muzzle resting between two of her mate's thick spines. After a moment Taki licked a spot on the base of her mate's spines, hearing him starting to purr at the return attention.

The sound of padding feet had the two looking up without lifting their heads, both purring louder in greeting as Norik came over with another piece of sweet root.

Taki smiled up at her currently oldest, grown cub, lifting her head to share a nuzzle with the fire breed. "How are they?" Norik asked, setting the present of the root down beside his own parents, looking at the sleeping cubs. Normally cubs so young would stay in the nesting dens for while yet. Yet these were the last to hatch of the season, and both his sire and Taki were far from inexperience with cubs after all.

"Attempting to climb my tail," Aruma chuckled, sharing an affectionate head rub with Norik next, proud of him. "Like you once did." He sighed, shaking his head as he remembered that past time of starting at the dark red and black stripped cub Norik in his forearms.

Now the newly becoming Alpha male was a little over a third of Aruma's bulk, with strong hunting muscles. Norik was still dark red, with black stripes down his sides, from his neck to half way down his tail. Only now, the fire breed had a thick helm and cresting a set of two horns that were a darker shade of orange that swept back, and thick spines not unlike Aruma's that worked all the way down Norik's back to almost all the way down his tail. He sat down, and then laid down with forelegs stretched out in front of him, a lighter shade of blue and green eyes looking up to Aruma's own gold and red eyes, then to Taki's blue shades.

"You don't have to be nervous Norik," Aruma purred in reassurance, looking down to the curving gold marking on his own black chest, and then over to the forming mark on Norik. "I think the time has come, I cannot hunt like I used to, or fight as well as I once did with a broken foot and aging bones..." The Hordika King leaned forward to lick the side of Norik's neck, feeling the smaller male rub against of his sire's own neck.

"You're not upset?" Norik asked as the three were alone.

"You have been leading the pack," Taki said, leaning over to tug on the end of Norik's tail for a moment with her jaws. She picked up the root next, "Aruma isn't mad at you, he's gotten lazy and old and liking not having to run the borders of the territory." She eyed her mate, "Breaking that foot has giving him time to realize he likes this now."

Aruma snorted at his grinning mate as Norik edged closer, then reached over with a foreleg to grab and pull the smaller male. Cuddling shamelessly for a moment, then with the cubs in Taki's protection Aruma uncurled his tail and rolled onto his back as Norik got his hind feet under him. The fire breed braced himself and pushed on the black and gold marked chest of his sire. Norik grinned as he knew even now that normally nothing would move the earth breed male if he didn't want to.

Only Otan, one of the older males from the first generation of the pack could really wrestle with Aruma, as they were nearly the same size. But that brown colored stone breed male was sound asleep with his own mate, guarding the front of another nesting den.

Norik wasn't thinking this though, grinning as he pushed and then was pushed back, scooting with his sire around and away from the den. Away from Taki with the fragile cubs until they both could stretch and flex muscles to start play fighting. Norik was pushed down to the ground, and then grabbed hold of one of his sire's head horns, tugging as he got up and jumped on the black hide, claws gripping but not hurting. Aruma dropped and rolled again, wrapping both forearms around the red male with a mock growl that had some purring mixed in as they played by rough housing.

It ended after a time, long enough for Norik to be panting on his spot laying sprawled over top of Aruma who was laying stretched out on his side, breathing harder too. The fire breed lowered his head to rest, not missing the difference from the past, as before when they wrestled it had always ended with Norik pinned under a large black and grey forearm. Now... he was victorious, Aruma conceding to him.

The red horidka tilted his head, wondering if it was more then what it seemed, or just him over thinking things. After a bit he groomed the grey spinner patch, remembering only last breeding season when Aruma took the time to groom and spend time with each pack mate, directly related or not. Now he decided to keep this going, as it always helped to strengthen the pack bonds.

"Have you found the names for the cubs?" Norik asked after a while of settling down.

"It is up to Taki to decide this time." Aruma said from his spot, lifting his head and neck to look back at the pale ice breed female as she groomed and then fed little strip of soft meat to the two cubs. One of the pack hunter had returned to deliver food and then take off again to return to get more. "Those two might be the last cubs I can give her Norik, so their names are her choise."

Norik stretched out his neck to bump his head to bump it against the underside of Aruma's jaw. "You're not _that_ old sire."

Aroma shook his head, nuzzling back, "I am though, even Titan from the first clutch Taki and I had has his own great, great cubs. This is natural Norik, I've had a hard life to establish our territory. Otan, Taki and I are on our way to being old turaga." He chuckled, resting his head back down on the smooth wood of the Mata Tree as the heat of the mid day sun was too much of a temptation for most all members of the pack. Norik stayed perched up on his sire, both of their darker colored hides were absorbing the heat, and as with most naturally nocturnal breeds they like several other pack members were dosing.

To the side, Taki smiled and shook her head at the two more than once, before looking down at the cubs between her forelegs. She smiled at their cubby, rounded full bellies before very lightly touching first green, and then red hide with the end of her muzzle. "Your sire and brothers are crazy," she whispered to the cubs, "Like you two will be one day I guess, runs in both sides of your family." She smiled and explained, "But I think you two will be great hordika, my Nidihki and Lhikan."


End file.
